You have to commend HTC for the effort it has put in to making Windows Mobile truly intuitive – a difficult task given Mobile's stubborn reluctance to ditch the stylus.

Where TouchFLO covers Windows Mobile it works superbly – the Touch2's small screen hinders things a bit but the menu system is generally easy enough to use without wishing for either the stylus or smaller fingers. Where it falls down is when TouchFLO doesn't quite reach the edges.

Every now and then you're reminded of the touchscreen inadequacies of Windows Mobile by a jarring, small screen that's hard enough to read, let alone navigate using the tip of a finger.

The Touch2 also suffers from rather uninspiring design and construction – there's nothing actively wrong with it but compared to stylish pieces of work such as the HTC Hero or the iPhone, the Touch2 will hardly raise your pulse.

However, despite the cute user interface (and attendant niggles) there's no denying the Touch2's business capabilities.

Love it or hate it, Windows Mobile still comes with Microsoft Exchange capabilities built-in, and the calendar and contact features remain some of the very best on any platform.

And, costing around £300 SIM-free, it seems likely you'll be able to get the Touch2 free on some contracts when providers are announced, which, despite the occasional problem, will make it a decent bargain.

We liked:

TouchFLO is undeniably clever, and you simply can't beat Windows Mobile for the sheer range of features on offer. Business users in particular should never discount it.

we disliked:

Not every screen on the Touch2 can be navigated with a fingertip, and using the stylus is aggravating – not least because it's something you could potentially lose. The camera is poor and the looks are rather boring.

Conclusion:

The HTC Touch2 is good, but it's not the ultimate smartphone. The iPhone still wears the crown – the benefits of having an operating system designed from the ground up to be touched are painfully obvious.

And Android should remain the operating system of choice for HTC aficionados. But that doesn't stop the Touch2 being a decent handset for a good price.

HTC Touch2 is ready to help you with all the things you want to do on your phone. Stay in touch with your friends, find out what they're up to on Facebook, check your mail, or browse the web. It's all at your fingertips in a compact phone that fits nicely in your hand. Ready to do even more with HTC Touch2? You can add games and applications from the Windows Marketplace to personalize your experience. And you can keep your stuff safe when you back up to Microsoft's My Phone servers without a PC.